Veteran journalist and author Hank Gola takes readers on a tour of the most consequential clashes in the history of the biennial matches. Since the first meeting between the United States and Great Britain in 1927, the Ryder Cup has become the most passionate of golf' s professional events with the combatants playing for country rather than themselves. Gola brings readers inside the ropes and behind the scenes from the most memorable shots to the most momentous putts to the craftiest machinations and most contentious confrontations. He recalls iconic moments and figures including Walter Hagen and his gamesmanship, Dai Reese and Britain' s 1957 upset, Jack Nicklaus, Tony Jacklin and The Concession, Seve Ballesteros and the arrival of the Europeans, Bernhard Langer' s agony at the War at the Shore and Paul Azinger' s stunning captaincy at Valhalla.
"Hank Gola goes deep into the history of the Ryder Cup and well beyond the typical highs and lows that are part of the competition every two years. From Sam Ryder's dream to Walter Hagen's recurring captaincies in the early days to Jack Nicklaus' role in bringing all of Europe along all the way to Hank's own question on a chilly Scotland night that prompted Phil Mickelson to blow up the entire U.S. Ryder Cup system, the book is yet another reminder of why the event is considered as big as any in the game."
Bob Harig, Sports Illustrated golf journalist and author of Drive: The Lasting Legacy of T
"With stories shaped by the heartbeat of pressure and patriotism, Ryder Cup Rivals vividly captures nearly a century of golf drama and Hank Gola uses his insider's eye to lead readers behind the curtain of all the riveting theater."
Bill Pennington
"Ryder Cup Rivals is a riveting baker's dozen of the most intense and consequential Ryder Cups in the nearly 100-year history of the team competition. "Nothing compares to the Ryder Cup," he writes in the introduction. True, and his narrative spotlights the Ryder Cup's fascinating history, team machinations, biggest controversies, raw patriotism, and nerve-shattering moments, all in pursuit of a trophy instead of riches."